I am working up to my next race. I’m going to compete in a 5k. This will be my first 5k since high school. But I didn’t technically run cross country in high school, so I never really ran a true 5k. What I did run was a 5k during practice. For some reason my coach thought it a good idea that I practice with the high school boys.
No idea.
So I skipped the last two days and haven’t run since Monday. Before that, I had been sick with a cold and then a cough so I hadn’t run for almost a solid week. When I started up again on Sunday, I was back down to 21 minutes. It was all I could muster. Then Monday I was up to 25 minutes.
Two days off, and this morning I was back down to 22 minutes. Sheesh. This is going to be a long training process.
So anyway, I’m telling you this partly to hold myself accountable for my crappy time, but also to let you know that’s why I haven’t posted anything in two days. It turns out that running has been my muse for writing. I never would have guessed in a million years. This is not at all where I thought I would be at the ripe old age of 30.
Nevertheless, I wanted to share with you today how I started my calorie reduction diet and fitness endeavor. I know I’ve touched on it here and there, but I want to share the truth. The cold, hard facts.
The Beginning
Here are two examples of what I did (exercise) and what I ate from the first month, which was August 2010.
As you can see from the first image, I was eating a lot of high calorie foods. Yogurt, mini wheats, popcorn. All of these items, while not unusually unhealthy for an individual, were items that I could easily cut out and save a ton of calories.
Here’s another example:
Again, a lot of unnecessary calories. It is also important to note my calorie goals. When I started, my goal was 1,224 calories/day. I changed my goal to lose more weight per week and I was knocked down to 927 calories/day.
Calorie Reduction
I’m not going to lie, calorie reduction was tough. It still is tough. I have one pound left to go and I will be off this diet once and for all. Supposedly the average American needs 2,000+ calories per day to maintain weight. I disagree. If that were the case, I would have literally been starving myself at just 927 calories each day. And I wasn’t. Of course I had cravings, but as I’ve said before, everyone has cravings and it’s okay to allow yourself to give in within reason.
There was one point in time, when I had lost a bit of weight, and my calories had been recalculated to 880 calories per day. That was when I decided I could no longer lose my two pounds per week. 927 was manageable. 880 was impossible.
If you are truly committed to losing weight, looking great, and feeling like a million bucks, calorie reduction (within reason) is highly recommended.
Failure? Not An Option
Do you want to know why people fail miserably when they diet? Because they are depriving themselves of their favorite, comfort, go-to item. Whether it be cutting out sweets, cutting out carbs, giving up meat — whatever it is, it’s impossible to realistically lose weight and keep it off by depriving yourself of the one (or two, or three) things you love most!
With calorie reduction, you still get to enjoy the foods you like and you don’t ever feel deprived. It helps to have a strong, supportive family as well. Not one that tempts you with absurd foods and sweets!
It is helpful to cut down your alcohol intake. These are empty calories. There is some research that says pale ales can be good for women’s health, but I haven’t heard much else. If you need a glass of wine, or a pint of beer, share it with your husband or best friend. No need to pack on the empty calories.
One thing you must watch out for, especially if you’re a mom: (and by mom, I mean a mom of a little one that you are feeding, making lunches for, etc. You might know where I’m going with this…) You must watch out for being hungry enough that you pick food off of your little one’s plate! I fell victim to this many, many times. I still do, sometimes. I can’t help it! There’s my allotment of Booty, and then there’s Boo’s allotment of Booty. And he eats so slowly! Oh, it kills me.
It’s okay to pick one or two things, but if you have no self control and you end up eating your child’s entire lunch, you might need a personal trainer and a nutritionist to get you through these times. Helpful hint: make sure you eat your meals when your child is eating his meals. Not only is it good for his psychological development and helps him learn to eat and chew properly, it is good for you to have some sustenance in your belly while your little one finishes his lunch. Win-win.
Something else to consider is restaurant food. Probably not such a good idea if you’re trying to lose weight, maintain heart health, or otherwise be a healthful individual. Have you checked out the nutritional information for some of your favorite dishes at some of your favorite restaurants? It might not be such a bad idea. Just sayin’…
Concluding
Tomorrow I’ll share with you my middle and end results. In the meantime, I feel like I’ve just been babbling on, trying to tell my story to people who may or may not even care to hear it. To that effect, do you have any questions? Post them in the comments section and I’ll give it to you straight. I’ll answer your questions to the best of my ability. Try me.
